Editing New Jersey Route 66

{{Short description|State highway in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=NJ
|type=NJ
|route=66

|length_mi=3.62
|length_ref=
<ref name=SLD>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/00000066__-.pdf|title=Route 66 straight line diagram|publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|access-date=March 17, 2020}}
</ref>
|map={{maplink-road}}
|map_custom=yes
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{jct|state=NJ|NJ|33}} in [[Tinton Falls, New Jersey|Tinton Falls]]
|junction={{plainlist|
*{{jct|state=NJ|GSP2}} in Tinton Falls
*{{jct|state=NJ|NJ|18}} in [[Neptune Township, New Jersey|Neptune Township]]
}}
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=NJ|NJ|35|CR|16|county2=Monmouth}} in Neptune Township
|established=January 1, 1953<ref name="1953renum">{{cite news |title=New Route Markers Go Up Next Month |url=http://www.fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2021/Hackettstown%20NJ%20Gazette/Hackettstown%20NJ%20Gazette%201952-1953/Hackettstown%20NJ%20Gazette%201952-1953%20-%200243.pdf |access-date=September 26, 2018 |work=The Hackettstown Gazette |date=December 18, 1952 |page=17}}</ref>
|counties=[[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth]]
|previous_type=NJ 1956
|previous_route=65
|next_type=NJ
|next_route=67
|browse={{nj browse|previous_type=NJ|previous_route=33|route=[[File:NJ 33A (1926).svg|20px|alt=NJ 33A|link=]]|next_type=NJ|next_route=34}}
}}

'''Route 66''' is a [[state highway]] located in [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]], [[New Jersey]], [[United States]]. It runs {{convert|3.62|mi|km|2|abbr=on}} between [[New Jersey Route 33|Route 33]] in [[Tinton Falls, New Jersey|Tinton Falls]] and [[New Jersey Route 35|Route 35]] at [[County Route 16 (Monmouth County, New Jersey)|County Route 16]] on the border of [[Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey|Ocean Township]] and [[Neptune Township, New Jersey|Neptune Township]], just to the west of [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]].  The route serves as an important connector between the [[Garden State Parkway]] to the west and [[New Jersey Route 18|Route 18]] and Asbury Park to the east. It runs concurrent with County Route 16 from Bowne/Wayside Roads to the eastern terminus at Route 35. Route 66, which varies from a two-lane undivided road to a four-lane [[divided highway]], passes through commercial areas for most of its length with some wooded areas. The route was created in 1953, replacing what had been '''Route&nbsp;33A''' (formerly the '''Route 33-35 Link'''). There is currently a proposal to widen the two-lane portion between Jumping Brook Road and Wayside Road in order to better handle the traffic that uses this road.

==Route description==
[[File:2018-05-28 10 18 41 View west along New Jersey State Route 66 at Green Grove Road in Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|View west along Route 66 at Green Grove Road in Neptune Township]]
Route 66 begins at an intersection with [[New Jersey Route 33|Route 33]] in [[Tinton Falls, New Jersey|Tinton Falls]], heading to the northeast as a two-lane road. A short distance past Route 33, it comes to an interchange with the [[Garden State Parkway]], where the road becomes a three lane undivided road with one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes.<ref name=SLD/> Past this interchange, the route heads into commercial areas, where it widens into a four-lane [[divided highway]] that passes south of the [[Jersey Shore Premium Outlets]], with an interchange serving the outlet mall at Premium Outlets Boulevard/Hovchild Boulevard. Following this, the road heads into [[Neptune Township, New Jersey|Neptune Township]].<ref name=SLD/><ref name=gm>{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=route+33+and+shark+river+road+tinton+falls,+nj&daddr=Asbury+Ave+%26+Hwy-35+N,+Monmouth,+New+Jersey&geocode=%3BFfnMZQIdH0KW-ynbRReKmCjCiTEO0Na_ACXcNg&hl=en&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=40.223189,-74.068623&sspn=0.057933,0.110035&ie=UTF8&ll=40.223582,-74.071712&spn=0.057932,0.110035&t=h&z=13|title=overview of New Jersey Route 66|access-date=2009-07-15}}</ref><ref name=jspo>{{cite web|url=http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/directions.asp?id=78|title=Directions & Transportation|publisher=Jersey Shore Premium Outlets|access-date=2009-07-15}}</ref>

[[File:2020-09-10 13 47 32 View west along New Jersey State Route 66 at the exit for the Garden State Parkway NORTH on the border of Neptune Township and Tinton Falls in Monmouth County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|Route 66 westbound at the Garden State Parkway entering Tinton Falls from Neptune Township]]
After the intersection with Jumping Brook Road, the divided highway ends and Route 66 becomes a two-lane undivided road.<ref name=SLD/>  The route heads through a patch of woods before passing more businesses and coming to an intersection with [[County Route 16 (Monmouth County, New Jersey)|County Route 16]] (Asbury Avenue).<ref name=SLD/><ref name=gm/> Here, the road becomes a four-lane divided highway again and heads east along the border of [[Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey|Ocean Township]] to the north and Neptune Township to the south, [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with County Route 16.<ref name=SLD/>  It passes through woodland before coming to a [[cloverleaf interchange]] with [[New Jersey Route 18|Route 18]]. Past Route 18, the road heads into commercial areas again, with the [[Seaview Square Shopping Center]] located to the north of the route.<ref name=gm/> Route 66 ends at the Asbury Park Circle with [[New Jersey Route 35|Route 35]], where County Route 16 continues east toward [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]] on Asbury Avenue.<ref name=SLD/><ref name=gm/>

==History==
[[File:2021-08-26 16 34 48 View east along New Jersey State Route 66 (Asbury Avenue) from the overpass for New Jersey State Route 18 on the border of Ocean Township and Neptune Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|Route 66 eastbound at Route 18 in Neptune Township]]
Route 66 was legislated in the [[1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering]] to replace what had been Route 33-35 Link and Route 33A.<ref>{{cite news |title=Route 4-N Changed to 71 in Highway Renumbering |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46900912/nj-renumbering-december-12-1952/ |access-date=March 19, 2020 |work=The Daily Record |date=December 12, 1952 |location=[[Long Branch, New Jersey]] |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref><ref name="nj1953">{{Cite book|title=1953 renumbering|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|publisher=New Jersey Department of Highways|access-date=July 31, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628183145/http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|archive-date=June 28, 2011}}</ref> There is a proposal to widen the two-lane portions of Route 66 between Jumping Brook Road and Wayside Road. The need for this widening is due to the need to handle traffic going to Asbury Park in the summer months as well as an [[Emergency evacuation|evacuation]] route for the coastal regions of Monmouth County, and the poor design of the current roadway, which lacks turning lanes and facilities for bicycles and pedestrians.<ref name=monmouthco>{{cite book |title=Monmouth County Transportation Council's 6th Annual Summit |publisher=[[Monmouth County, New Jersey]]}}</ref> In addition, a proposed outlet mall called the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets was planned along the route in Tinton Falls, with improvements planned to the route in the vicinity of the project including an overpass to the outlet mall.<ref name=app>{{cite news |last=Bowman|first=Bill and Keith Brown|access-date=2009-09-07|title=Outlet Mall Downsizes to Avoid Wetlands|newspaper=[[Asbury Park Press]] |date=November 23, 2005 |url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/312837/outlet_mall_downsizes_to_avoid_wetlands/}}</ref> In 2006, Neptune Township refused to cooperate with these plans because the original agreement for the outlet mall project in 2001 was no longer up to date with the current traffic demands.<ref name=coaster>{{cite web|last=Cangiano|first=Andrew|access-date=2009-07-15|title=Neptune Officials Will Not Cooperate with Mall Plans|publisher=[[The Coaster]]|date=January 12, 2006|url=http://thecoaster.net/wordpress/2006/01/12/neptune-officials-will-not-cooperate-with-mall-plans/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724094859/http://thecoaster.net/wordpress/2006/01/12/neptune-officials-will-not-cooperate-with-mall-plans/|archive-date=July 24, 2011}}</ref> Despite this opposition, the plans were approved by the borough of Tinton Falls in 2007 and the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets opened in November 2008.<ref name=tintonfalls>{{cite book|title=Amended final site plan - Development application form|publisher=[[Tinton Falls, New Jersey]]|date=April 16, 2009}}</ref><ref name=nyt>{{cite news |last=McGeehan|first=Patrick|access-date=2009-09-07|title=Outlets Face Extra Competition This Year, Analysts Say|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 26, 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/nyregion/long-island/30Routlook.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=jersey%20shore%20premium%20outlets&st=cse}}</ref> As for the widening of Route 66, a meeting was held in August 2009 between members of the 11th state Legislative district and the Commissioner of the [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]].<ref name=app2>{{cite news |last=Bowman|first=Bill|access-date=2009-09-07|title=Officials to meet next week on Route 66 widening|newspaper=[[Asbury Park Press]] |date=August 4, 2009 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/app/access/1818043801.html?FMT=ABS&amp;date=Aug+04,+2009|format=Fee required}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

== Major intersections ==
{{Jcttop|state=NJ|county=Monmouth|length_ref=<ref name="SLD"/>}}
{{NJint
|mile=0.00
|road={{jct|state=NJ|NJ|33|dir1=west|location1=[[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold]]}}
|location=Tinton Falls
|lspan=3
|notes=Western terminus
}}
{{NJint
|mile=0.24
|road={{jct|state=NJ|GSP2}}
|notes=GSP exit 100
}}
{{NJint
|mile=0.64
|road=Premium Outlets Boulevard / Hovchild Boulevard
|notes=Interchange
}}
{{NJint
|mile=2.51
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|16|county1=Monmouth|dir1=west|name1=Asbury Avenue}}
|location=Neptune Township
|lspan=3
|notes=West end of CR 16 overlap
}}
{{NJint
|mile=3.01
|road={{jct|state=NJ|NJ|18|city1=Eatontown|city2=Point Pleasant}}
|notes=Route 18 exit 10
}}
{{NJint
|mile=3.62
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=NJ|NJ|35|city1=Eatontown|city2=Keyport|location3=[[Neptune Township, New Jersey|Neptune]]|city4=Point Pleasant Beach}}<br />{{jct|state=NJ|CR|16|county1=Monmouth|dir1=east|name1=Asbury Avenue|city1=Asbury Park}}
|notes=Asbury Park Circle, eastern terminus
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=concur}}

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
*{{Portal-inline|New Jersey}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|New Jersey Route 66}}
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
*[http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/nj/log/6.html#66 New Jersey Roads: Route 66]
*[http://www.njroads.org/ends/66/nj66.htm New Jersey Highway Ends: 66]
*[http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/traffic_orders/speed/rt66.shtm Speed Limits for State Roads: Route 66]

{{good article}}

[[Category:Transportation in Monmouth County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:State highways in New Jersey|066]]